Mums join together to help group member pay for IVF
A GROUP of mums have come together to give a stranger life-changing IVF treatment
When joining a Facebook group for expectant mothers, Caerphilly woman Rebecca Catlin thought she was signing up for advice and support through her first pregnancy.
Now a year later she has helped the group raise £2,000 for a complete stranger to have IVF treatment, gaining 74 best friends along the way.
The May Babies 2016 group was originally formed for women around the world with due dates in and around May 2016.
Rebecca said: “If anyone has any problems we’ve got each other’s backs.
“If you have down days you just comment. It’s like a support group, it’s amazing.”
However, a year later when many of the group were expecting their second child, some members noticed one mother’s pain.
Marisha Chaplin, 25, from Nottingham gave birth to her first daughter through IVF treatment but has been unable to afford a second round of treatment.
To help her, the Facebook group set up a secret Gofundme page and held a series of raffles to help her achieve her target.
Fellow group member Beca Evans from Caerphilly set up the page to raise the total in just seven months.
The mother-of-three said: “We did raffles and because it was over seven months when we were paid we’d throw in a fiver or tenner or whatever we had.
“Two or three ladies gave £100 in one go.
“It was just complete chance we all joined the same group, we’re all over Europe and there’s even one lady in America. We’re all brilliant friends, a couple of us met and are real-life friends now.”
After reaching a total of £2,000 the group sent Marisha a video with each of its 74 members holding a line from a customised poem to break the news.
Her reaction was broadcast live to the group, leaving everyone in tears.
Rebecca said: “I was in floods of tears.
“My heart was in my stomach the whole time watching her face.
“We just connected with her because throughout her pregnancy she had this blog.”
Marisha said the news has left her dumbfounded.
She said: “It’s just hard to believe that a group of ladies I’ve never met would do something so kind.
“I’m still left dumbfounded, I’m in complete disbelief.
“A lot of them had no problem conceiving their children so that they would think of me all the while, with a lot pregnant again, is amazing. Even though we started as strangers now we’re best friends.
“I’ve never had such a lovely group, no matter what you say you’re never judged.”
Without the funding, Marisha has until August 2018 before she must start paying storage for the remaining embryos given by a donor.
She said: “It was only this week we thought we would have to remortgage the house and get loans and a credit card, it just didn’t seem feasible to pay for the embryos to go into storage.”
As a result of the group’s support some of the mums are now in the stage of becoming egg donors.
Rebecca, who is currently expecting her second baby, said: “I’m considering donating my eggs after I’ve had my children ever since this journey.
“Before I’d never even thought about it, it’s just knowing that I can do it and someone else can’t
“It’s been a real eye-opener.”